Contact spring carrier plates for insulating soldering lug strips



June 15, 1965 H. KRONE 3,189,793

cormcw srame CARRIER PLATES FOR INSULATING SOLDEHING LUG STRIPS Filed Oct. 12, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 40 30 Fig. I v 2a rior Arf H. KRONE June 15, 1965 3,189,793 CONTACT SPRING CARRIER PLATES FOR msumz'me SOLDERING LUG STRIPS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Odt. 12, 1962 United States Patent K 4,98 2 Claims. (Cl. 317-112) In telecommunication engineering, and more particularly in telephony and selector installations, separating soldering lug strips are used as separating and measuring positions, in which the incoming lines are separated by means of a plug or may be monitored for testing purposes by means of a test plug.

Usually, these separating soldering lug strips consist of a number of contact spring carrier plates of insulating material, arranged side-by-side on a base plate, and assembled by screws or other means to form a block, and mounted by means of the base plate on a fixed support. The separating or testing plugs may be fitted on to the separating lug strip.

The invention relates to a contact spring carrier plate of insulating material to be used with these separating soldering lug strips, in which each incoming line is associated with a terminal projecting beyond one lateral edge of the plate, and each outgoing line with a contact projecting over the opposite side of the plate, and in which the terminals associated with corresponding incoming and outgoing lines are connected in pairs through contact springs, between the ends of which, projecting over the upper edge of the carrier plate, a plug may be inserted.

In known carrier plates, the terminals associated with the incoming and outgoing lines are arranged on opposite sides of the plate and are formed by angled strips equipped with soldering lugs projecting at right angles over the lateral plate edges.

However, these known constructions have two substantial disadvantages:

Since connecting terminals associated with the incoming and outgoing lines are located on different sides of the carrier plate, and crossing over of the individual contacts is to be avoided, there results on both sides a diiterent sequence of the lines connected to the contacts; if, say, the incoming lines are connected, from top to bottom, in the sequence a, b, c, the corresponding outgoing lines are located, again from top to bottom, in the sequence c, b, a. This arrangement may lead to faulty connections both during the original wiring and during later changes.

A second serious drawback of the known constructions .is that the angled and differently designed connecting terminals require a multitude of punching tools, so that their manufacture is fairly expensive. Moreover, the material waste is considerable, due to the specific design of these terminals.

The first drawback, that is to say, the change in the sequence of the incoming and outgoing lines, was solved in crossing the terminals on one side of the plate. However, this requires special measures, such as the provision of insulating layers, in order to prevent an electrical connect-ion between the crossing terminal contacts. In addition, the thickness of the carrier plate carrying the contacts is increased, and the separating soldering lug strip requires more space. Moreover, these special insulations between the crossing conductors render the manufacture much more expensive.

The present invention has the object of providing a contact spring carrier plate of the kind described hereinbefore, in which, on one hand, the sequence of the associated lines on both sides of the plate is the same, whilst, on the other hand, a comparatively thin carrier plate may be manufactured simply and without complicated tools.

According to the invention, this object is realized by the combination of the following features:

(a) The connecting terminals are formed by straight contact strips and are all located on the same side of the carrier plate;

(b) One half of the connecting terminals are connected within the upper range of the plate with their associated con-tact springs;

(c) The other half of the connecting terminals are connected in the lower range of the plate with their associated contact springs which extend at least to the upper range of the plate on the side opposite the contacts.

This design of the new carrier plate has the advantage of maintaining the same sequence of the connected lines on both sides of the carrier plate, without necessitating crossed connecting terminals.

A further considerable advantage is the possibility of using straight, that is to say, not angled, contact strips, which may be chopped off the strip material by simple cutters, so that the hitherto necessary, expensive punching tools are eliminated.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the associated incoming and outgoing line contacts are so mounted that their ends projecting beyond the plate edge are substantially on the same level. This reduces the amount of space required for the separating strip. Although in this arrangement at least a part of the connecting terminals will be mounted obliquely on the plate and project therefrom at an angle, practical tests have shown that this does in no way obstruct the connections at the outer contact ends.

In a further preferred embodiment there are provided on the two lateral edges of the plate recesses, correspond ing to the thickness of the contacts and adapted to receive the shouldered contacts in such a way that they are flush with the upper edge of the carrier plate.

In this way, the interior of the separating lug strip may be rendered largely dustproof after the assembly of the individual carrier plates. For example, if the carrier plates are fitted into slots of the housing, the width of which corresponds to the thickness of the carrier plates, these slots wili be completely closed after the plates have been inserted, preventing particles from the outside to penetrate into the inner space, especialiy during the soldering.

Finally, from the point of view of manufacture the contact springs, having the form of spring wires, engage with one bent end into holes in the connecting terminals and are connected thereto by dip-soldering.

Further details of the invention will become apparent from the ensuing description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. la is a diagrammatic perspective view of a known separating soldering lug strip;

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a known carrier plate;

FIG. 2 is a carrier plate according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is atop view of the plate of FIG. 2.

FIG. 1a shows diagrammatically a conventional separating soldering lug strip, consisting of a plurality of insulating carrier plates 1 in side-by-side arrangement. These carrier plates support connecting terminals 2, 3, 4 and 2a, 3a, 4a, to which are connected the incoming lines 28 and the outgoing lines 21, respectively.

The terminals 2, 3, 4, or 2a, 3a, 4a are connected, by means not shown, to contact springs, which are normally connected so that the terminal 2 is connected with the terminal 2a, and so on, but this connection may be broken by plugs which may be inserted through holes 22 in the top cover 23 of the separating soldering lug strip.

The carrier plates 1 with the terminals are mounted on a base plate 24, with apertures, such as 25, for the incoming and outgoing lines.

In order to illustrate the principle of the invention better, FIG. 1 shows a single, conventional, carrier plate 1 of insulating material, having on either side three connecting terminals 2, 3, 4 and 2a, 3a, 4a, respectively, connected to contact springs 5, 6, 7, and 5a, 6a, 7a. In normal operation, these contact springs. are closed and connect the lines 2 and 2a, 3 and 3a, and 4 and do; it these lines are to be separated, a plug (not shown) is inserted from the top between the contact springs.

In the known embodiment of PEG. 1, the connecting terminals are formed by angled strips, produced by a punching process. The sequence of connecting the incoming lines to the contacts is the reverse of the outgoing lines: if the sequence of the incoming lines is a-bc, connected to terminals 2, 3, 4, the outgoing lines must be connected in the reverse order, that is, c-b-a to contacts 4a, 3a, 2a.

FIGURES 2 and 3 show the contact spring carrier plate 8 according to the invention. This plate may be made of pressed materials, thermoplastic substances or kraft paper.

The connecting terminals 9, 10, 11, and 8a, 19a, 11a are formed here by straight contact strips, and are all arranged on the same first side 19 of the carrier plate.

The contact springs 12, 13, 14, and 12a, 13a, 14a, the construction of which does not form part of this invention, are made from spring wire, and engage, by means of one bent end into holes in the connecting terminals. The joint between contact springs and connecting terminals is conveniently made by dip-soldering.

The terminals 9a, a, 11a are connected within the upper range of the plate, such as within the area 20 between the second edge 16 and the third edge 21 of the plate 8, with the associated contact springs 12a, 13a, 14a; the terminals 9, 10, 11 are connected in the lower plate range, such as within the area 22 between the first edge and the fourth edge 23 of the plate 8, with the contact springs 12, 13, 14. These contact springs 12, 13, 14 extend from the lower to the upper range of the plate and lead to the second side 24 of the plate remote from the terminals.

As may be seen clearly from the drawing, there results, from the arrangement according to the invention, the same sequence for connecting the lines to contacts 9, 10, 11, and ha, 10a, 11a, so that circuiting errors are largely eliminated. It should also be noted that the connecting terminals 9, 16, 11, and a, 10a, 11a are formed by straight strips and may therefore be produced simply and without complicated punching tools.

Naturally, the contact springs 12, 13, 14, and 12a, 13a, 14a may also be differently designed and arranged. For

example, they may be produced from strip material and may be so arranged that the contact springs 12a, 13a, 14a are located exclusively on the same side as the contacts 9, it 11, 9a, liia, 11a, whilst the contact springs 12, 13, 14 are located on the opposite side of the plate and pass merely through the lower part of the plate, in order to form a connection with the contacts 9, 1t), 11.

Since the terminals 9, it and 10a, 11a pass, from their joints with the associated contact springs, slantingly over the carrier plate 8 to the lateral plate edge, the ends of associated terminals, projecting beyond the edge of the plate are located at substantially the same level.

The two lateral edges 15, 16 of the carrier plate 8 have recesses 17 and 17a, which correspond to the thickness of the connecting terminals, and Within which the terminals are so located by means of shoulders 18 (FIG. 3) that they are flush with the surface of the plate. In this way, the carrier plate 8 may be easily inserted into slots of a housing, and closes these slots completely after insertion.

What I claim is:

1. A contact spring device for separating soldering lug strips between incoming and outgoing lines, comprising an insulating carrier plate, two sets of straight contact strips arranged on the same first side of said carrier plate, the first set of said contact strips being connected at a first edge of the carrier plat with the incoming lines, whereas the second set of said contact strips are connected with the outgoing lines at a second edge of the carrier plate opposite the first edge, two sets of contact springs arranged in pairs forming break contacts at a third edge of the carrier plate, the first set of said contact springs extending at least part of their length on the second side of said carrier plate and being connected with the first set of said contact strips in an area between the first and the fourth edge of said carrier plate, whereas the second set of said contact springs are connected with the second set of said contact strips in an area between the second and the third edge of said carrier plate.

2. A contact spring device as claimed in claim 1, said contact springs being formed by spring-wire engaging by means of a bent end into holes of said contact strips and being connected therewith by dip soldering.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,849,700 8/58 Perkin 33915O 3,081,416 3/63 Tuttle et al. 317ll2 FOREIGN PATENTS 232,791 6/ 44 Switzerland.

LARAMIE E. ASKIN, Primary Examiner.

JOHN F. BURNS, Examiner, 

1. A CONTACT SPRING DEVICE FOR SEPARATING SOLDERING LUG STRIPS BETWEEN INCOMING AND OUTGOING LINES, COMPRISING AN INSULATING CARRIER PLATE, TWO SETS OF STRAIGHT CONTACT STRIPS ARRANGED ON THE SAME FIRST SIDE OF SAID CARRIER PLATE, THE FIRST SET OF SAID CONTACT STRIPS BEING CONNECTED AT A FIRST EDGE OF THE CARRIER PLAT WITH INCOMING LINES, WHEREAS THE SECOND SET OF SAID CONTACT STRIPS ARE CONNECTED WITH THE OUTGOING LINES AT A SECOND EDGE OF THE CARRIER PLATE OPPOSITE THE FIRST EDGE, TWO SETS OF CONTACT SPRINGS ARRANGED IN PAIRS FORMING BREAK CONTACTS AT A THIRD EDGE OF THE CARRIER PLATE, THE FIRST SET OF SAID CONTACT SPRINGS EXTENDING AT LEAST PART OF THEIR LENGTH ON THE SECOND SIDE OF SAID CARRIER PLATE AND BEING CONNECTED WITH THE FIRST SET OF SAID CONTACT STRIPS IN AN AREA BETWEEN THE FIRST AND THE FOURTH EDGE OF SAID CARRIER PLATE, WHEREAS THE SECOND SET OF SAID CONTACT SPRINGS ARE CONNECTED WITH THE SECOND SET OF SAID CONTACT STRIPS IN AN AREA BETWEEN THE SECOND AND THE THIRD EDGE OF SAID CARRIER PLATE. 